Nigeria Battling with Archaic Judicial System, Says Katsina CJ

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Katsina State Chief Judge, Justice Abubakar Musa Danladi, yesterday lamented that Nigeria is battling with archaic judicial system despite the

geometrical rise in number of criminal cases across the country.

He explained that criminal cases were increasing daily in the country but the Nigerian judicial institutions and correctional centres remained the same across the country.

Danladi, who disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Katsina, said: “We inherited a judicial system that is so archaic, and we are just trying to develop the culture of democracy, rule of law and citizens’ right. The society is so dynamic, and so are our crimes.

“In this country, the rate of crime is high. If you record 2,000 cases in January, in February you will record 4,000 cases, and in March it will jump to 6,000 not 5,000. So, the rise in crime is geometrical but the institutions or facilities we have remained the same.”

To tackle the problem, he said, the state government has reviewed its 2019 Administration of Criminal Justice Law to ensure speedy dispensation of justice and avert security challenges experienced in the state.

According to him, “The Administration of Criminal Justice Act has been domesticated since 2018, and we put it to use in 2019. After operating the law in the state for about two years, we discovered some lacunae, so we made a proposal and sent it to the government.

“And government sent it to the state House of Assembly, and they have now reenacted the 2021 Administration of Criminal Justice Law and the Penal Code Law to ensure quick dispensation of justice.”

He said the state government has also inaugurated a committee comprising stakeholders in the justice sector, civil society and human right organisations to monitor and review all outstanding criminal cases for speedy justice delivery.